All out: No more C-484s

The federal election means that all legislation that was on the table in the last session of parliament is gone and will need to be re-introduced. That includes Bill C-484, the Unborn Victims of Crime Act, a controversial proposed legislation introduced by MP Ken Epps as a private members bill. You can read more about it here and here (read the actual bill here). Essentially, under the guise of ensuring greater protection of ‘unborn children’ there are serious concerns any such bill would also be used to attack women’s right to chose to have an abortion. Epps has denied this is his intent, but comments from his supporters point otherwise.

While C-484 has attracted so much negative attention that the Conservatives have essentially axed it, as you can see on the image to the right, there are other bills following in the footsteps of C-484: C-543, C-537, C-338. They will all need to be re-introduced, and the Conservatives plan to follow through.

That’s why – along with the Harper government’s terrible track record on women’s rights so far – people will be gathering on the streets across the country this weekend to make sure that women’s rights are heard during this election campaign and the remind politicians that while the economy and environment are at the forefront, there are more than two issues that people are voting on.